as in capabilities
the physical or mental power to do something
as a result of the accident the once-vigorous athlete lost the ability to walk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abilities
Fuller could easily be a game-day active player because of those special teams abilities.
—
Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
In the past, even when Gobert has done his job to the best of anyone’s abilities, Jokic has often found answers in the form of knocking down outside jumpers or by flashing his feathery touch in the midrange.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026
This model is perfect for people who need a good mobile workspace or want a high-quality entertainment center but don’t need the extra abilities of the iPad Pros.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
Classes are accessible to all levels and abilities.
—Ramona Sentinel, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026
For the handful of hardy fans who braved the torrential rain to watch the team at open training, there is little doubt in her abilities.
—Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
Certainly during Shakespeare’s day and his characters and in the medical literature, their brains light up, their memories, their imaginations, their intellectual abilities, and, yes, maybe telekinetic powers.
—Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
In 1961, Clayface’s shape-shifting abilities were established.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
For nearly half a century after the creation of the Girls’ Athletic Association, photos of girls playing sports were accompanied by captions that disparaged their athletic abilities.
—Michael A Messner, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
In the past, even when Gobert has done his job to the best of anyone’s abilities, Jokic has often found answers in the form of knocking down outside jumpers or by flashing his feathery touch in the midrange.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026
This model is perfect for people who need a good mobile workspace or want a high-quality entertainment center but don’t need the extra abilities of the iPad Pros.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
Classes are accessible to all levels and abilities.
—Ramona Sentinel, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026
For the handful of hardy fans who braved the torrential rain to watch the team at open training, there is little doubt in her abilities.
—Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
Certainly during Shakespeare’s day and his characters and in the medical literature, their brains light up, their memories, their imaginations, their intellectual abilities, and, yes, maybe telekinetic powers.
—Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
In 1961, Clayface’s shape-shifting abilities were established.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
For nearly half a century after the creation of the Girls’ Athletic Association, photos of girls playing sports were accompanied by captions that disparaged their athletic abilities.
—Michael A Messner, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abilities
Noun
-
Years ago, the Voyager science and engineering teams jointly agreed on the order in which instruments would be switched off, to conserve power while preserving the most scientifically valuable capabilities.—
Willem Marx,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The Virginia Democrat argued that a ceasefire extension could give Washington and Tehran time to negotiate on key issues, including Iran’s nuclear capabilities, while alleviating the energy market.—
Sophia Vento,
The Hill,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The authors live in El Cerrito and write in their personal capacities.—
James Porter,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Fortunately, a range of major appliance companies and specialists sell wine fridges with various capacities, capabilities, and price points.—
Emily Saladino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The class would enable students to gain specialized skills needed for employment after graduation or for further post-secondary training, a memo from the district said, and would also provide students with opportunities to teach other students in the district’s introductory welding course.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
-
But there’s also plenty of beauty in the way Bertelli captures bodies and technology at work, with DP Mauro Chiarello’s razor-sharp images highlighting the incredible skills needed to rise to such feats of excellence.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Their relationship is fascinating, and Guardiola often appears at the end of his tether, but the manager finally recognises that Cherki’s creative talents are worth indulging.—
Sam Lee,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Jonathan Groff was the original star of a production that had many top-tier talents stepping in at different phases of the production’s elaborate run.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The researchers also announced a contest with a $200,000 prize pool on the popular machine learning competition site Kaggle for outside researchers to help build evaluations for the five cognitive faculties where existing benchmark tests are weakest.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Strange occurrences quickly destabilize the group, with the writer becoming increasingly unhinged, convinced the location has an inexplicable hold over her creative faculties.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.—
GRACIA LIU-FARRER,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Nov. 2025
-
More money is apt to make homeschooling worse and far less tailored to the individual student and their interests and aptitudes by encouraging parents to substitute pricey group programs for the requisite effort of individualized instruction.—
Marie Sapirie,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Structured interviews, where each interviewer focuses on specific competencies, can also improve efficiency during the hiring process.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
In the program, students will develop the core competencies needed to lead with integrity and drive meaningful organizational change.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abilities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abilities. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
